Delhi Police Cracks Engineer's Murder Case Using CCTV 'Hoodie Clue' – Complete Investigation Details

Further investigation into the case continues as authorities work to finalize details.

New Delhi:

A critical piece of evidence from CCTV footage showing a suspect in a hoodie enabled Delhi Police to solve the murder case of a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) engineer discovered dead in his Rohini apartment last week, officials confirmed on Thursday.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Northern Range) Vijay Singh explained during a press briefing, "The murder occurred on October 31, with the victim identified as Suresh Kumar Rathi (59), who served as an Assistant Engineer with the DJB in Rohini. Family members contacted police on November 3 after repeated calls to Rathi went unanswered."

He detailed that authorities immediately formed multiple teams, deploying over 200 police personnel to investigate the case and apprehend the perpetrator. Officers visited the crime scene and recovered Rathi's body from his flat in Sector-22, Rohini, subsequently arranging for a postmortem examination.

The Joint Commissioner noted that Rathi's family resided approximately 300 to 400 meters from the apartment where his body was discovered, and he frequently visited that residence.

During the investigation, police analyzed more than 200 CCTV clips from the surrounding area and identified footage of a man in a hoodie attempting to conceal his face under a cap.

"We examined entry and exit footage and obtained crucial information about the suspect. Through technical surveillance, we determined he had entered the flat around 9 pm, but there was no record of him leaving," the Joint Commissioner stated.

Further analysis revealed that the suspect had first encountered Rathi on October 25 at a 'paan shop' in Sector 31, Rohini, where they were seen in conversation.

"The suspect met with Rathi again on October 27 at the same location, suggesting he was establishing a relationship with the victim as part of his scheme," the officer explained.

Investigators traced a scooter visible in CCTV footage near the crime scene and found it registered in the Aman Vihar area. After reviewing records of known offenders, the team identified Bunty, whose appearance matched the individual captured in the footage.

"Bunty has a criminal history with six previous cases against him, including charges related to theft, violations of the Arms Act, and the Gambling Act. He had been turning his mobile phone on and off repeatedly to avoid tracking and maintained contact with family members to check if police had visited his residence," Singh reported.

According to authorities, Bunty had meticulously planned the murder.

"He concealed a knife beneath his hoodie when visiting Rathi's apartment on October 31. During interrogation, he admitted to killing Rathi with robbery as his motive," the Joint CP revealed.

Police indicated that after committing the murder, the accused fled with jewelry and cash from the flat.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) Rajeev Ranjan confirmed, "All stolen items, including jewelry and cash, have been recovered from the accused. Police also seized two mobile phones and the scooter used in the crime."

In the days following the murder, Bunty continuously changed his location to evade arrest.

"On November 1, he was observed in the Kashmere Gate area, on November 2 near Aman Vihar, on November 3 around Vikaspuri and Peeragarhi, and on November 4 near Madhuban Chowk," Ranjan detailed.

The suspect was finally captured after an extensive operation involving multiple police teams working concurrently across various locations.

"Based on technical and human intelligence, Bunty was tracked down and apprehended. During thorough interrogation, he disclosed that he had planned to rob Rathi after gaining his trust. On October 31, he visited Rathi's apartment under the pretense of meeting him and murdered him before escaping with valuables," explained the DCP.

He added that Rathi's body was discovered in his flat on November 3 after family members alerted police when he did not respond to calls. The investigation continues to verify the exact sequence of events and determine whether the accused had accomplices or disposed of any stolen property prior to his arrest.

Police confirmed that further investigation into the matter remains ongoing.